Legislative Update
Resolutions
[Zoning Code Commission]
June 19, 2008: Councilman DiCicco introduced a resolution extending the tenure of the Zoning Code Commission for two years until 6/30/10. City Council passed the resolution unanimously.
PROPOSED BILLS
[Development Review}
06/08: Bill No. 080466 Street and Sidewalk Closure legislation
Amended and approved by Committee and will receive final passage next Thursday. Amending Chapter 11-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Construction, Encroachments And Projections Over, On And Under Streets," by adding a new Section that requires that certain conditions be placed on any permit that authorizes the temporary closing of a sidewalk or roadway lane; in particular, placing a time period on the validity of such permits, and prohibiting the parking, stopping or standing of vehicles on such closed sidewalks or roadway lanes with certain exceptions; all under certain terms and conditions.
Hearings
[Historic Preservation}
PCPC Special Meeting 8/19/2008: Planning Commission Forwards Interiors Bill to City Council
At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of revised Bill No. 080527 to City Council. In its current form, the bill gives the Philadelphia Historical Commission the authority to designate interiors of buildings as historic, provided the spaces are designed or used for public purposes and are not significantly altered. The bill is not retroactive and PHC must specifically include internal spaces in the designation; interiors will not be automatically preserved along with the historic building. Once the bill is enacted, rules and regulations will be drafted by PHC to apply the new law in practice. PCPC staff will participate in the process, which must include a series of public hearings.
[Development Review}
Philadelphia has many agencies involved in development review and zoning and virtually all of them have new appointments made by Mayor Nutter in 2008. The key agencies are Licenses and Inspections, Planning Commission, Water Department, Streets Department, Zoning Board of Adjustments, and the newly formed Zoning Code Commission. For a summary of each department’s role, Mayor Nutter’s appointees to departments and boards and direct website links, click here.
OTHER ISSUES
[ZONING]
ZCC Consultants Present Work Plan
8/13/2008 | ZCC Regular Session
The first phase of Philadelphia's zoning code reform is about to get underway. The ZCC invited the technical services team to its meeting on Wednesday to learn more about the consultants and next steps. Matt Goebel of Clarion Associates led introductions and summarized a 12-month work plan. The goal of this phase is to produce a detailed plan of action for drafting the new code. The focus of the next six months is to identify issues. The team will evaluate the city's current zoning policies, review best practices from other cities, and build stakeholder interest in the project. Once the substantive work is complete, the consultants will develop code options and make recommendations that reflect citywide input and fit Philadelphia's unique social and political framework. The team and ZCC members say they are eager to get started. More On Work Plan
ZCC Member Judith Eden Remembered
8/13/2008 | ZCC Regular Session
The ZCC mourned the loss of one of its members last week. "Judith Eden was a valued member of this Commission and the two subcommittees on which she served," Chairman Gary Jastrzab said. "We will miss her greatly." More
ZCC Recommends 4 Director Candidates, Awaits Mayor's Selection
8/13/2008 | ZCC Regular Session
The Hiring Subcommittee reported on Wednesday that it interviewed seven candidates for the executive director position and passed four names onto Mayor Nutter for consideration. More
[Development Review]
Mayor Appoints L&I Commissioner
7/18/2008
Frances Burns returns to city government as Philadelphia’s new L&I Commissioner. Mayor Nutter announced the appointment July 18. Burns is currently the executive director of the Manayunk Development Corporation and will take over at L&I next month. Formerly Deputy Commissioner for Administrative and Technology Services at L&I, Nutter considers Burns’ history with the department an asset. “Frances knows this department, she has a clear vision for its future, and she is highly capable of making the changes that we need,” the mayor said in a written statement.
L&I is the chief regulatory agency for the City of Philadelphia, administering and enforcing the city’s codes on building, property maintenance, business, and zoning, among others. As the department responsible for issuing every permit or license required by city business people, homeowners, developers, and others, the process can be confusing and slow. That’s why Frances Burns intends to focus changes on improving customer service and streamlining current practices. “I have asked Frances to undertake a top-to-bottom review of the department and to propose a restructuring that will be consistent with our overall goal of bringing predictability to the planning and permitting processes,” Nutter stated. Read More
[Planning]
Mayor Announces City Planning Director
8/15/2008
Vice-Chairman of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Alan Greenberger, will take on new role as executive director. Mayor Nutter introduced Greenberger as the head of the Commission at a press conference Friday, where he commended Mr. Greenberger for his ability to “bridge the worlds of design and planning.” As co-founder and vice-chairman of Philadelphia’s Design Advocacy Group, Greenberger developed a reform agenda closely aligned with the goals of the administration and advised Nutter on key policy issues during his campaign. In making the announcement, Mayor Nutter reiterated that the Commission will be “the Charter-based authority... and the first stop for the development process here in Philadelphia.” As planning director, Greenberger will also serve as chair of the Zoning Code Commission. The selection ensures a strong planning and design perspective is brought to the zoning reform process. More on Greenberger
Mayor Nutter Elevates Planning Commission, Requires Transportation Studies, Encourages Formation of Design Review Board
6/17/2008 | PCPC Special Meeting
Mayor Nutter held a special meeting of the City Planning Commission on June 17th where he stated that the Planning Commission is "the city authority on planning and shaping the development of Philadelphia." The mayor wants PCPC to carry weight in daily decisions on new development and made PCPC the first stop for all developer proposals, moving it away from its purely advisory role. More
Phila. ponders how best to plan
Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/01/08
There are few municipal functions more basic than zoning and planning, the rules and process that dictate what can be built, where it can go, and how it should be done. In Philadelphia, most agree, that system is badly broken. An ancient zoning code and fickle political forces make building here a risky proposition for any big developer.
Clear steps to better planning
Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/05/08
Philadelphia is in the midst of a zoning reform effort that will affect the city for decades. Yet since the Zoning Code Commission (ZCC) was approved by voters in May 2007, it has been unclear about how it plans to carry out its work, and how the public will be involved.
Welcome to the new website of the When We Fix It Coalition.
05/06/2006
Bob Rosenthal
This coalition has achieved a great deal since we began working together in 2004 to release a report entitled “If We Fix It, They Will Come.” We wrote the report in response to a request by the City’s Managing Director for two developers who were investing in the city to set out the key deficiencies of the city’s development review process along with proposed fixes. We did just that and the report proposed 10 major changes to the way Philadelphia regulates investment from small additions to homes to large-scale development. 